Private nonprofit · University

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts · Midsize city

39.5%
Admit rate
$28,714
Avg net price
77%
Graduation rate
$62,381
Median earnings

Clark University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Worcester, Massachusetts (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,214 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,214 undergradsMidsize citySelective · 40% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Clark University's admitted students.

Admit rate
39.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1288–1460
Avg GPA
3.76

Enter a test score to see where you land against Clark University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Clark University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn. Much of Worcester's culture is synonymous with broader New England culture. The city's name is notoriously mispronounced by people unfamiliar with the city. As with the city in England, the first syllable of "cester" (castra) is left entirely unvoiced. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Worcester, MA
To the ocean
37 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Worcester (ORH)

How Clark University compares

Selectivity39.5%

More selective than 90% · #15 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1370

Higher than 87%

Graduation rate77%

Higher than 87% · #21 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention86%

Higher than 79%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$62,381

Higher than 72% · #35 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$28,714

Cheaper than 19% · #38 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$26,759

Lower than 19%

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment2,214

Larger than 60%

Percentiles compare Clark University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,873students
  • Undergraduate2,21457%
  • Graduate1,65943%

Undergraduates by gender

2,214undergrads
  • Women1,45366%
  • Men76134%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White62%
  • Black5.5%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian6.9%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,214
Graduate enrollment
1,659
Student–faculty ratio
8 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
23%
First-generation students
16%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$77,506
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$112,239
Endowment
$486,846,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 629 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts38%
  • Other U.S. states62%

A national draw — only 36% of first-years come from Massachusetts; 59% arrive from other states.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
39.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1288–1460
SAT average
1370
SAT reading
658–740
SAT math
630–720
ACT composite
30–33
Average GPA
3.76

Cost

In-state tuition
$58,867
Room & board
$12,500
Books & supplies
$900
Total cost of attendance
$68,432
Average net price
$28,714

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
77%
Graduated on time (4 years)
70%
First-year retention
86%
Transferred to another college
15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,022
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$62,381
Median debt at graduation
$26,759
Students with federal loans
58%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
78%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
70%
Low-income (Pell)
75%
First-generation
75%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,773
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
80%
Housing charge (year)
$6,900
Meal plan (year)
$4,790
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
374 (181 men · 193 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Lacrosse63
Soccer58
Baseball49
Rowing36
Basketball33
Swimming and Diving (combined)28
Tennis28
Cross Country27
Softball20
Field Hockey16
Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
26
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,925 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

11reported offenses a year
8.7 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.0
Fondling
4.0
Burglary
2.0
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$18,188
$30–48k
$13,313
$48–75k
$21,971
$75–110k
$25,062
$110k+
$39,035

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$91,054

$21,971/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

97%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$29,810
average award, among those who get one

Clark University discounts heavily: 97% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $29,810. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 703 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$62,381
Typical debt at graduation
$26,759
Debt vs. one year's pay
43%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$61,658
Men
$65,716

Men out-earn women by $4,058 (7%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
17°F
Annual rain
48.3″
Annual snow
72.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Worcester Rgnl AP, MA US station (2.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Clark University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Clark University side by side →

Colleges near Clark University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.